About
US

The Sathyanesan Laboratory focuses on understanding the role played by multifunctional trophic factors in the central nervous system.
Our long-term goal is to understand the molecular, cellular and behavioral actions of multifunctional trophic factors in the central nervous system.
We propose that simultaneously improving neuronal and vascular health can result in significant benefits in brain function.
A combination of omics technologies, in vivo gene manipulation, transgenic mouse models, recombinant protein expression and computational structural biology studies to obtain mechanistic and functional insight into trophic factor activity.

RESEARCH

Gene Expression

We have a strong interest in examing gene regulation in several different issues and cell lines. We employ a combination of high throughput, whole genome investigations, and focused, hypothesis-driven experiments.

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Structural Biology

Our computational structural biology studies are geared towards obtaining deep, atom-level insight of chemically engineered post-translational modifications of trophic factor molecules.

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Cell Signaling

We employ neuronal and endothelial cell lines to determine the activation of intracellular signal transduction pathways with high resolution.

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Behavior

Normal and abnormal animal behavior can be used as a tool to understand the neural substrates of neuropsychiatric disoders.

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Our Gallery

People

Samuel Sathyanesan: Professor

Samuel has dual PhD degrees from the University of Madras in embryo cyropreservation and the University of Notre Dame in molecular physiology, cloning, and purifying plant antifreeze proteins. Samuel then pursued a postdoc in molecular psychiatry at Yale. He subsequently joined the Yale faculty and established a neurovascular lab studying antidepressant mechanisms. Samuel moved to USD in 2013 and is currently investigating the molecular and behavioral actions of trophic factors in neuropsychiatric disorders.

  (605) 658-6313     samuel.sathyanesan@usd.edu

Jayan Sadanandan: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Jayan received his Ph.D. from Cochin University of Science and Technology, where his research primarily focused on glutamatergic neurotransmission in the diabetic brain. He joined the Sathyanesan lab in April 2022 after completing four years of postdoctoral experience in vascular biology and neurodegeneration. Currently, Jayan is investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the role of non-erythropoietic EPO derivatives in cognition. Additionally, he is exploring trophic factor signaling in late-onset Alzheimer’s disease using APOE mice, along with age-regulated molecular and cellular changes in the choroid plexus. Jayan is proficient in a variety of techniques, including survival stereotaxic surgery, viral-mediated in vivo gene manipulation Western blotting, tissue immunohistochemistry, gene expression studies using real-time and ddPCR, confocal microscopy, ELISA, and animal behavior experiments.

  jayan.sadanandan@usd.edu

Morgan Rothschadl: Graduate Student

Morgan Rothschadl received her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Augustana University in 2020. She then worked at Sanford Research for two years as a Research Specialist before starting graduate school in the Basic Biomedical Sciences PhD Program at USD in 2022, where she joined Dr. Sathyanesan’s Lab. Morgan’s current work focuses on better understanding the molecular and behavior effects of the neurotrophic factors carbamoylated erythropoietin (CEPO) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on cognition. She uses the in vitro model of PC-12 cells and in vivo models in both mice and rats to perform this work, and has technical experience performing western blot and qPCR analyses, cryosectioning and immunohistochemistry, stereotaxic surgery, and animal behavior experiments.

  morgan.j.rothschadl@coyotes.usd.edu

Monica Sathyanesan: Research Associate

Monica Sathyanesan is a Research Associate and Lab Manager. Monica works on various projects focused on understanding the role of trophic factors in neuropsychiatric disorders. These include animal behavior experiments, human post mortem brain tissue analysis, and cell culture. Her technical expertise includes immunohistochemistry, laser microdissection, nucleic acid analysis using the Agilent Bioanalyzer, and QPCR based gene regulation. Monica has previous research experience from Yale University.

  (605) 658-6464     monica.sathyanesan@usd.edu

Some of our consultants

We appreciate your help

  • Prof. Marina Picciotto

    Charles B. G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry and Professor in the Child Study Center, of Neuroscience and of Pharmacology; Deputy Chair for Basic Science Research, Dept. of Psychiatry; Deputy Director, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine

  • Prof. Ralph Dileone

    Professor of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience, Member, Kavli Institude for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine

  • William Schweinle

    Statistician, Associate Professor, University of South Dakota

Check Out
Our Publications



Contact Us

414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57059
Phone: (605) 658-6313
Building: #130 Basic Biomedical Sciences Lee Med Building
Email:
samuel.sathyanesan@usd.edu